At the 1954 Motorama auto show, Chevrolet unveiled a concept car that combined the look of the previous year’s two seat ‘dream car’, the Corvette, with a station wagon body. The concept was named, “Nomad”. It was painted in a medium blue with a white top. Like so many concept vehicles before it, the car did not see production. Now I do not know if DM will ever build that particular concept Nomad but when it comes to custom cars, DM has more than earned our respect, admiration and loot! Their diverse and subject-rich selection and execution of cool and dynamic custom cars is quickly becoming legendary in the precision diecast arena. They made this ’54 Corvette Nomad into one of the most beautiful custom diecasts to come out of Connecticut yet.

First, as I study the model, I cannot get past the finish. DM’s paint work has become synonymous with perfection. In the industry they have been leading the cutting edge technology in finish application. The Nomad’s paint is simply outstanding. The coverage is flawless, even and amazingly glossy, especially for a metallic so well scaled. Even the cream paint of the top is finely applied so that the horizontal roof styling lines are crisp and clean with no thick paint to hide the body details here. Fit is likewise superb. The doors and tailgate are on internal and external hinges, respectively, yet when closed the scaled gaps are tight and spaced exactly on each side. The hood is on two disappearing pivot points up front and supported by a telescoping prop rod. The hood closes to exacting tolerances. It is interesting to note, the hood is little more than half the length of the standard ’53-’55 Corvette hood. Other body panel dimensions are also different in size than the standard Vette of this vintage.

The side windows slide to open or close and the tailgate window may be pulled up or nestled back down into the door itself. That was an unexpected bonus. With both doors and tailgate opened, you have a remarkably good view of the interior cabin. Who knew that station wagons could be this cool? The Gomad, as DM calls it on its custom license tag, has an off-white and saddle tan interior. The carpeting is a rich caramel color as is the seat inserts, dash top and center of the steering column. The seat bolsters are sort of an eggshell shade and so are the headliner, steering rim and dash and the door panel centers. The flat rear floor and tailgate are trimmed in chrome while the door panels and rear passenger areas are accented in chrome and gold bright-work. The photo-etched door sills bear the GM, “Body by Fisher” seal. Fabric and photo-etch makes up the seat belts and buckles. And a fire extinguisher is mounted on the transmission tunnel just in front of the seat center.

The car is totally up to today’s retro-rod look with a slammed stance, lowered and sporting some hefty meats; low profile rubber, front and rear. But check out the wheels! Dude, DM outdid themselves here. The fully chromed mags feature the most realistic lug nut treatment you may have ever seen on a 1:24th. Get out the magnifying glass, it’s worth the effort. Take your time there but be certain to look past the wheels for another eyeful. The brake rotors are photo-etched metal and fully drilled out. They turn within huge multi-piston brake calipers. The suspension is static but look underneath to see the complete detail of the front springs and rear shocks. From below you will also see the starter wiring and attention that DM paid to the exhaust plumbing. The rear section exits through the rear bodywork just like the concept vehicle. Very realistic. Speaking of bodywork, it’s adorned with a beautifully scaled front Corvette medallion and outrageously formed chrome metal foiled cross flags and, “Fuel Injection” badges on the front fender sides. They are covered with magnetic plastic from the factory to keep them in place and safe during shipping. When you remove the plastic strips you may need to rub your finger beneath the script to take off any residue. Be careful not to touch the script itself.

You’ll find no weak sister under this hood. No, for cruising the boulevard in twenty first century style we have a fuel injected small block pumping out 360 ponies of Gomad power. All the prerequisite wiring and plumbing is in place and the battery cabling needs to be seen up close, it’s fabulous.

As I mentioned, I have no idea if DM will ever produce the original concept car but this sweet treat should appeal to a wide variety of folks. Its audience should include Corvette fans, custom fans, station wagon fans and those of us old enough to remember the Motorama concept cars. Anyone that just loves incredible detailing on our 1:24th machines will also get a rush out of this model. A hearty 9.875 was duly registered on the ol Thrillometer!
This is a limited edition for this year only. Production ends 12/31/05 so get your order in now. Issue price is $135.